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Google's misstep is not in wanting to protect their brand; I don't think anyone would fault them for that. The faux pas is that they apparently took a heavy-ha

Google's misstep is not in wanting to protect their brand; I don't think anyone would fault them for that. The faux pas is that they apparently took a heavy-handed, lawyer-oriented approach to it, sending a cease-and-desist letter to a popular, well-regarded open-source hacker doing work on a platform that Google has promoted for its openness, who may not have even realized previously that what he was doing wouldn't be acceptable to Google. Being in the right (both legally and ethically) doesn't make you immune to PR screwups.

thismat 17y ago
Indeed, this could have been handled with understanding and tact, instead they throw their weight around. Google should be willing to support people who support their platform in my opinion. Why not have the lead of the Android team approach him and offer him a trimmed down marketplace application (or the old version), and then sell the "google experience" through that store allowing you to upgrade your phone as need be? Support the community that supports you I say.